A fatal party: The Edgeware Road murders

On May 5 2007 Lipine Sila murdered Hannah Rossiter and Jane Young and caused grievous bodily harm to eight other teens when he drove his car through a crowd outside a party in the Christchurch suburb of Edgeware.  The collision took place after Sila and his brother had been involved in fights at the gathering. Sila claimed he was scared for his life and was trying to get away from people attacking him - and that he never meant to harm any of the victims. However a jury found him guilty of murder and in 2008 he was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.  The murders were like nothing seen in New Zealand before. They impacted many in Christchurch - from the family and friends of the dead girls to their schoolmates and community, the wider city and the country.  There was anger towards Sila, toward those who organised the party - which had been widely shared and discussed on social media in the week leading up to it - and police for their response when it was clear it was about to go haywire. In this episode of A Moment In Crime senior journalist Anna Leask revisit the Edgeware Road murders - taking you inside the tragic party, the police handling of it and the trial and sentencing of one of the country's most notorious double murderers. For more on the murders and aftermath visit nzherald.co.nz or click on the links below. Brother admits 'I lost the plot' on night of deaths Edgeware Road murder trial evidence ends Murderer Sila convicted of prison assault Review clears police over Edgeware Rd A Moment In Crime is an NZME podcast produced monthly by Leask, who has been a specialist crime and justice reporter for almost two decades.  This episode was written and produced by Anna Leask and edited by NZME audio engineer James Irwin. If there is a case you would like Leask to consider covering please email [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.